1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to devices for adjusting alignment of a vehicle wheel and, in particular, it relates to a device that displaces an arm member that affects the alignment of the wheel.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
There has been a general trend in the manufacture of automobiles to make automobiles lighter. To further accomplish this end, conventional axles and suspensions are being eliminated and strut-type suspensions, such as the McPherson-type suspension, are being used more and more.
One type of strut suspension used by the Ford Motor Company in their Tempo and Topaz brand automobiles uses two spaced-apart front and rear control arms to hold the wheels in a selected toe angle. Toe angle, as used in the present application, is defined as the side-to-side slant of the tires along their forward portion and referenced from a line positioned along an axis common to the front and rear tires. The front and rear control arms are attached at their outer ends to the wheels and are pivotally attached at their inner ends to the underside of the vehicle. The inner ends are positioned between two plates that extend downwardly from the underside of the vehicle and a pin or bolt extends through the plates and through the inner end of the control arm. If the toe angle of the wheels has been altered due to an accident, or is in error due to factory assembly, readjustment of the wheels to the proper toe angle is not readily possible.